The invention relates to a mining vehicle with a carriage, drive equipment for moving the carriage, at least one mining work device which is one of the following: a rock drilling machine, bolting machine, shotcreting device, scaling device, injection device, blasthole charger, measuring device; alternating current electric motor, connection for supplying it from the electrical network of the mine, DC intermediate circuit to which electricity is supplied from the electrical network of the mine with a rectifier, inverter for supplying the electric energy of the DC intermediate circuit to the alternating current electric motor, and an auxiliary energy source connected to the DC intermediate circuit.
The invention further relates to a method for the energy supply of a mining vehicle with a carriage, drive equipment for moving the carriage, at least one mining work device which is one of the following: a rock drilling machine, bolting machine, shotcreting device, scaling device, injection device, blasthole charger, measuring device; and at least one alternating current electric motor that is supplied from the electrical network of the mine through a rectifier, DC intermediate circuit, and inverter.
In mines, rock drilling rigs and other mining vehicles are used to perform operations according to the work cycles of the mining work devices at pre-planned work sites. After the necessary tasks, such as borehole drilling, according to the work cycle are performed, the mining vehicle is moved to the next work site and a new work cycle is started. In underground mines, in particular, mining vehicles are generally used, in which the driving energy for the operations according to the work cycles is electricity from an electrical network of the mine. By contrast, transfer drives between work sites are performed by means of driving energy obtained using a combustion engine, typically diesel engine, whereby electric cables or the like do not restrict the transfer drives. However, exhaust gases and noise from a combustion engine cause problems in mines. In addition, a combustion engine requires a lot of space on the carriage of the vehicle, and necessitates regular maintenance. A combustion engine also has adverse effects on the fire safety of the mine, since it has hot surfaces and it also is necessary to store and handle flammable fuel in the vehicle and mine.
Mining vehicles that are continuously connected to the electrical network of the mine are also used in mines. The mining vehicles then have an electric motor, and typically an electric motor with a constant rotation rate is used. The power required by the work phase may then be adjusted with hydraulic components, and the electric motor obtains the electric current and load power defined by the energy consumption of the work phase from the electrical network of the mine. Further, the movement of the mining vehicle is then typically bound to the electrical network or at least to a cable connected thereto and coiled in the mining vehicle or at the fixed electrical network.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 7,053,568, for example, presents a battery-driven mining vehicle. The publication describes in particular the use and positioning of a battery and alternating current motors as components of drive transmission. A problem with such a mining vehicle that is fully dependent on batteries is the additional weight caused by the transported batteries. In addition, the capacity of the batteries is quite limited, and the batteries of the mining vehicle need to be charged relatively often.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,947 presents a mining vehicle that receives its electric supply from an overhead busbar system. The mining vehicle also has a switch for selecting whether the energy used by the mining vehicle is taken from the electrical network or from an auxiliary energy source, such as battery or diesel motor, in the mining vehicle. When the energy is taken from the auxiliary energy source, the mining vehicle can be moved short distances without connecting the mining vehicle to the overhead electrical network.